A Vicksburg physician was ordered Friday to perform community service for unintentionally failing to appear when scheduled to be excused from jury duty.

Judge Frank Vollor of Warren County Circuit Court ordered Dr. Joseph Wilson to perform 10 hours’ free public work for failing to appear in court Monday morning at the beginning of this week’s grand jury, Vollor said.

&#8220He said he got the dates wrong,” Vollor said of Wilson, adding that the doctor had phoned the court when he realized his mistake later in the week.

Anyone who willfully disregards a jury summons may receive up to three days in jail and a $100 fine, Vollor said.

Under current law, physicians may be granted advance excuses from jury service if requests are made in advance by phone or in writing, Vollor said. Wilson made such a request by phone but it was denied and submitted no written request, Vollor said.

Vollor said he levies such sanctions against all jurors he knows about who fail to either obtain advance excuses or appear to request them in person. He said he believed Wilson’s Monday absence was unintentional, but gave Wilson the same community-service order he has given others in similar circumstances.

Records show 144 jury summonses were mailed to potential grand jurors, Circuit Clerk Shelly Ashley-Palmertree said. Of those, 50 appeared Monday and Vollor excused 13 then, Ashley-Palmertree added.

Typically, some summonses that are sent are not received but officials don’t know how many for this grand-jury term fell into that category, Ashley-Palmertree said.

Several years ago, the Legislature abolished almost all standing exemptions from jury service.